The invention is directed to an apparatus for recording image information on a recording sheet, comprising a line-shaped recording head arranged in a housing of the apparatus, comprising a ribbon cartridge connectable to the housing, the ribbon cartridge containing a pressure member and an inked ribbon that can be conducted past the recording head in sections transversely relative to line direction, being conducted past upon interposition of the recording sheet lying against the pressure member.
Such an apparatus disclosed by German published Application No. 35 39 526, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,631 is fashioned as a thermal transfer printer operating in parallel, whereby a line-shaped recording head is arranged inside a housing. The housing comprises a lateral opening through which a ribbon cartridge is introducible into the housing in the direction along the recording head, this housing containing a pressure member in the form of a printing roller and an inked ribbon on two winding reels parallel to the axis of the printing roller. At its side facing away from the recording head, the ribbon cartridge comprises a window-shaped recess through which a recording sheet to be printed on is manually and individually introducible into the ribbon cartridge, so that the recording sheet, lying against the printing roller, is moved past the recording head by the latter upon interposition of the inked ribbon and can again be conveyed out of the ribbon cartridge through the same recess. The known apparatus enables only a manual feed of individual recording sheets to be printed on.
German Published Application No. 35 37 572 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,041 discloses an apparatus fashioned as a thermal transfer printer operating in parallel, whereby an automatic feed or, respectively, removal of the recording sheets to be printed is provided within the apparatus. Both a line-shaped recording head as well as a printing roller aligned parallel to the axis thereof are arranged inside the housing of the known apparatus. An inked ribbon having a width corresponding to about the length of the recording head is stored in a ribbon cartridge introducible into the housing, being stored therein on two winding reels parallel to the axis of the printing roller. The inked ribbon section respectively situated between the two winding reels proceeds in part outside a concavely fashioned outside of the ribbon cartridge, so that this outside and the appertaining inked ribbon section form a cavity accessible from the side. Proceeding from the side, i.e. in the direction longitudinal relative to the printing roller or, respectively, to the recording head, the ribbon cartridge can be introduced into a correspondingly fashioned opening in the housing of the known apparatus such that the inked ribbon section proceeding outside the ribbon cartridge ends up between the recording head and the printing roller, whereby the cavity between the concave outside of the ribbon cartridge and the inked ribbon section accepts the recording head. When a ribbon cartridge is being changed, therefore, the line-shaped recording head is held firmly in the housing of the known apparatus at only one end; only after the ribbon cartridge has been replaced is a restraint for the other end of the recording head likewise enabled in that the opening in the housing is closed with a cover that comprises a support for the other end of the recording head.